


The Conundrum of Arthur's Secret Boyfriend

by Wreckage



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Complete, M/M, Romantic Comedy, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2014-02-20
Packaged: 2017-12-28 22:57:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/997910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wreckage/pseuds/Wreckage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur has a boyfriend whose identity he will not reveal. Uther has a personal assistant whose job depends on following his every order. Uther demands that his PA find out who Arthur's lover is. Merlin is not particularly happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Загадка тайного бойфренда Артура](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2570429) by [bitter_zephyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitter_zephyr/pseuds/bitter_zephyr)



Most people were terrified of Merlin's boss, and he couldn't exactly blame them. One could hardly deny that Uther Pendragon was a pretty terrifying man, and Merlin probably did have more reason to fear than most. But having worked as his personal assistant for two years, he also felt he was beginning to learn how to deal with him. He'd never actually gotten fired, and Uther was known for sacking PAs left right and centre, so he must be doing _something_ right. Nevertheless, he was completely unprepared for the baffling task he was about to receive one seemingly ordinary morning, when Mr. Pendragon called him into his office.

 

"Emrys," the boss greeted him, "If you wouldn't mind closing the door and taking a seat." He was civil as ever, but with the threat of thundering rage looming right behind his polite exterior. That was no reason to assume Merlin was in trouble; it was just Uther's modus operandi. Merlin obeyed.

"How may I help, Mr. Pendragon?" he said as he sat. 

"It's about my son."

Merlin was puzzled, and from that moment, the puzzlement would continue to increase.

"Arthur?"

"Yes."

"What is it about him?"

"He had something rather troubling to reveal the other day, and I feel action is required."

"…Right."

"I've long been of the opinion that it is time he settled down and got married, and so I've suggested quite a few eligible young ladies that would suit him perfectly." 

This was something Merlin, and anyone else who had ever been within earshot of Arthur Pendragon in a bad mood, were very well aware of. He was glad to be aware of it, too, because it provided him with a good range of ammunition against Arthur, should the need to tease him emerge. It frequently did.

"Well, yesterday, I casually suggested that he meet with the daughter of an old friend of mine. He became very angry and told me he was not at all interested, because he is already seeing someone. A man."

"…Ah." 

There was a moment of incredibly awkward silence, until it became clear that Mr. Pendragon did not intend to expand unprompted. 

"Does this boyfriend have a name?"

Uther rolled his eyes, an expression that shouldn't look appropriate on a man nearing his sixties, and certainly not terrifying. It did, though.

"I am quite sure he does, Mr. Emrys, but sadly I do not know it. Whoever this man is, he's not yet 'come out', as they say, and so Arthur does not feel inclined to disclose his identity."

"I see."

"And that is where you come in."

"…I _don't_ see."

Uther sighed impatiently, as if he couldn't believe what a slow brained idiot Merlin was. Now that was an attitude that apparently _did_ run in the family.

"I need you to find the identity of Arthur's secret boyfriend."

He spat the last words out as if the taste of them offended him.

"What? You want me to spy on your son?"

"Yes, if that's what you must do to get me the information. I want to know who this man is, and find out what it takes to get rid of him."

"Get rid of him?"

"Threats, money, whatever it takes. I want him away from Arthur as soon as possible. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You may return to your desk. I'll call Arthur in for a conversation in a minute, that should give you a chance to search his office."

Merlin nodded, and got up to leave, but he hesitated with his hand hovering over the door handle.

"Mr. Pendragon… You know _I'm_ gay, right?"

"And more power to you," Uther answered, not even looking up from his papers, "There's nothing wrong with being gay, but Arthur is _not_ , and the sooner he stops this nonsense the better."

That interpretation was evidently debatable, but Merlin knew better than to point it out.

 

Needless to say, he found the request pretty bizarre. For the last two years, the boss had been consistently reasonable. Sure, he pushed all his employees devastatingly hard, and being his PA wasn't in any way an easy job, but  everything he demanded was work related and necessary. Uther Pendragon knew how to run a company. This latest order, however, was absolute lunacy. So unexpectedly mental that Merlin still didn't know how to react. He had yet to work that out when the intended victim of espionage sauntered past him, casually knocking a stack of papers from Merlin's desk onto to the floor.

 

"Prat," Merlin grumbled, as was his routine, and got up to clear the mess. Arthur smugly winked at him as he entered his father's office, and Merlin shook his head. He caught Elena's eyes from over by the water cooler. She had the decency to pretend she hadn't been amused by the tiny confrontation, even though she wasn't terribly good at pretending. Gwaine, who was standing next to her, didn't pretend at all, smirking broadly. Merlin had a sound theory that a deciding factor in getting to keep his position was that his continuous warfare against the boss's son was the office's favourite source of entertainment, and surely a boost to morale. Snide comments, jokes, pranks, and general petty actions like this one. That didn't mean Merlin wasn't alarmed that Uther wanted him to _spy_ on the man. After he had gathered the wayward documents, he discreetly snuck off in the direction of the younger Pendragon's office, as instructed. If anyone saw him, they would probably just think he was after some sort of revenge. He had a token look through he drawers, knowing he wouldn't find anything of interest. Exactly what Uther expected him to search for was anyone's guess. When Arthur returned, Merlin was leaning back in his chair, waiting for him. It took Arthur a second to notice, as he closed the door behind him with an irritable mutter before looking with surprise at his uninvited guest.

 

"Oh - Hi."

"Hello."

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"Your father."

"Of course. So, what is his newest scheme to make my life as annoying as possible?"

Merlin got up and proceeded to pace theatrically across the room.

"Well, he tells me you have a secret, closeted boyfriend hidden away somewhere. Should I be concerned?"

Arthur's eyes widened in surprise, and then his face became a pained mask, which he brought his hands to with a groan.

"Oh, _god_. No, of course you shouldn't. Sorry about that. He kept pestering me with his very ill advised matchmaking plans and I just… Blurted it out."

"I see."

"Hang on. What does he expect _you_ to do about it?"

"Spy on you to find out who you're shagging."

"I'd be _very_ worried if you had _any_ problems finding the answer to _that_."

"And _then,_ " Merlin continued, ignoring Arthur even as he wrapped his arms around Merlin's torso and bit one of his ears softly, "He wants me to find out what threats or bribes are necessary to get rid of him, because obviously you are not actually gay. That would be ridiculous."

"Oh dear. I really do have to watch my back, then. What if he offers you enough money to build your own robot army? I'm not sure I could compete."

"Oh, I'd take the money."

"You heartless swine."

"And then the first thing I'd use the robots for would be to go on an epic quest to rescue a certain beautiful prince held captive in a tower of heteronormativity by his evil, yet well meaning father."

"Sounds uncharacteristically heroic. A shame that if he finds out it's you, he'll resort to threats rather than bribes."

"Why on Earth did you say I was in the closet, anyway? You know very well that I'm not. Are you projecting, is that it?"

"Pssh. Rude. I just think I'd have been throwing you to the dogs if my answer to why I couldn't tell him your name was 'because he's afraid you might sack him.' Besides, I think I've officially outed myself now, whether he believes me or not."

"I suppose you're right. Congratulations, dear."

"Thanks, babe."

Arthur said that with his mouth pressed against Merlin's skin near the collar of his shirt. He was pushing against his neck, kissing and sucking small little bites that weren't enough to leave a mark, but certainly enough to distract Merlin. He was quite proud of his willpower when he managed to wave Arthur off.

"Seriously, though, we need to take a common stance on this."

"Okay," Arthur agreed reluctantly, "Why don't you just tell him you feel uncomfortable with the ethics or whatever, and ask not to have to go through with it? Surely he can't do something nasty to you for refusing _one job_. He's not the actual Devil."

"I'm not entirely sure he isn't. Regardless of that, what he'll do is hire someone else to spy on you, who is better than me at the task, more unscrupulous, and not as likely to manipulate results in our favour. When he finds out about us, _and_ that I lied to him, he'll be likely to do very nasty things indeed."

"It sounds like you've already got a plan."

"It's not going to work indefinitely, but for now, all I can do is pretend to be gathering information on you and failing to find something conclusive."

"That's hardly a sustainable solution."

"It's all I've got."

"We could always tell him."

 

Merlin sighed. Arthur had always been slightly braver when it came to confronting Uther with the truth, although he'd interestingly not wanted to come out as gay without coming out about the relationship. For him, there was always less on the line. Meeting Uther's new assistant had apparently been a bi-monthly ritual at the time Merlin joined the company. When they first met, Merlin was nervous and mixed up some figures in their conversation. But when Arthur mercilessly attacked him for it, he was surprised to find his victim perfectly capable of holding his own. The much loved nicknames of "Prat" and "Idiot" were designated within the first ten minutes. They went out for coffee together after work on that very same day, and Arthur spent the whole time snidely criticising and commentating on the people around them while Merlin giggled an awful lot and shook his head in amused disapproval. A few days later, they exchanged insults over lunch and became so engrossed in more and more creative digs that they were both late back to the office. On their third date, they had dinner, and not much was said at all, mostly due to the fact that their mouths were more or less glued together after the first three minutes and would stay that way until the next morning, making the actual meal an interesting endeavour. There was an understanding that they would keep their relationship a secret, because there was no way Uther would allow Merlin to keep his position for more than two weeks if he knew. But even with the rushed beginning and the secrecy, the relationship had been steady and loving so far. It seemed a shame to risk it at this point.

 

"Have you listened to a word I've said? With the mood your daddy's in, the truth is no alternative."

"Fair enough. Well, I'll expect to find you in a car parked across the street with binoculars trained at my house this evening."

"You shan't be disappointed."

"Excellent. See you then."

"Oh, you can count on it."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, has the little project I assigned you proved fruitful?"

Fruitful. As if Merlin's project was an orchard, or maybe animal husbandry. To the best of his knowledge, it was possible to use the word fruitful about animal husbandry.

"So far, things could have gone better."

Of course, this really, really wasn't about fruit or animal husbandry.

"Hm. I noticed you had not yet returned to your desk before I let him go - did he seem suspicious?"

"Not terribly. I pretended I was there to ask about the Palmer account, but he said you'd already talked to him about it."

"Yes, that was my excuse for calling him into my office."

Had he had any other boss than Uther Pendragon, Merlin would have taken the opportunity to joke about the fact that they had both concluded on the same diversion, 'great minds think alike' or something like that. But in this office, implying that he thought himself a 'great mind' or, horror of horrors, _on the boss's level_ , was unheard of, even as a joke. Instead, he said nothing, and let Uther continue.

"Never mind that. Tell me about what you've found."

"Well, there was nothing in his office that gave him away. I copied down the numbers in his address book, but as far as I can see, they are all people in this company, apart from a few investors. He might keep a separate record of personal numbers."

Or he might be a pathetic workaholic loser. Merlin knew for a fact that the latter was the case.

"I see. And through other means of investigation?"

"Well, I, eh. I spent some time parked outside his house to scout for suspicious activity."

"And you saw nothing?"

"Well, eh, turns out he recognised my car, and he came out to ask what I was doing. I feigned surprise and said I'd gotten lost. He, um." This story had sounded hilarious when he and Arthur thought it up the previous evening, but now it just sounded odd and very improbable, "He invited me in for a cup of tea and helped me find the directions home. Before you ask, yes, I did have a snoop around under the cover of going to the bathroom; there was an extra toothbrush, but nothing that could disclose any identity. Unless you have a convenient and easy to use DNA testing kit at hand."

 

-

 

"He said _what_?"

"He said he'd look into getting his hands on one."

"You can't be serious."

"Yes, I am. He commended the idea. It's one of the closest calls there's ever been to him paying me an actual compliment. I'm afraid, my dear, that your father is absolutely insane. Also, he has no qualms whatsoever about invading your privacy."

"This is all a bit _much_."

Arthur slumped down in one of Merlin's rather small leather armchairs, of which there were three, situated in a like sided triangle on his living room rug. Merlin had heard it said, by Arthur more than anyone else, but by other people as well, that only he could think those were a remotely good idea. He stood by the choice vehemently - they were cheap, and if they weren't exactly stylish, they were certainly unique.

"That's one way of putting it," he commented, sitting down in one of the other chairs and proceeding to use Arthur's lap as a footstool. Arthur grumbled, but made no explicit objections. "He's very into the idea of me trying to make friends with you, actually. So that I can invite myself into your house and pick up whatever debris your mystery bloke leaves behind. I did put it to him that he's already in a good position to surveil you, being your family and all that, but he feels you'd be too vigilant around him."

"You're acting as if this is some big joke."

"Well, I don't really think there is much of an alternative. I can laugh about it, or I can despair about it, and I know which one I prefer. At least this is an opportunity to interact with his blessing." He cocked his head to the side and made an effort to catch Arthur's pensive stare. "You do understand now why we can't tell him about us, right? There's no knowing what he'll do."

"Right," Arthur agreed, but he looked far from happy.

 

-

 

Some days later, after having officially been ''round for tea' at Arthur's several times, Merlin came to his desk to find all his papers - _all_ of them, from important reports to post-it notes reminding him to remind Uther about things he didn't need reminding about, but would be displeased if his assistant failed to mention - folded into elaborate origami creations. This inspired a cocktail of different emotions. He was annoyed, of course, but also impressed with the effort Arthur had made in learning a new craft just to annoy him, and there was that warm, satisfactory glee that always came with discovering one of Arthur's pranks. This was after all the only way they publicly displayed affection.

 

The situation was very inconvenient, though. Luckily, Elena was at hand to help him unfold the pieces.

"Ooh, some of these are right artworks! Look at this hare! I never knew Arthur could fold," she cooed, and Merlin was almost miffed at her praise of his adversary, even though he had been thinking along the same lines himself. He tuned her prattle out for a bit, and hastened to hide the motif on a blue paper crane, which turned out to be a sketch of a heart, quite obviously in Arthur's style. The big sap. Merlin crunched the sheet into a ball and shoved it into the bin before Elena could look at it, hoping there were no other secret messages about, but he could not suppress a charmed little grin which made her raise an eyebrow.

"Thanks," he said, to distract her before the question was asked, "I really appreciate your help."

"My pleasure. It's exciting to take part; you've long since become a spectator sport around here, you know."

"With you and Gwaine as the main supporters, yes, I am aware. Do you pick sides? Are you my cheerleader?"

"To be honest, I think we all cheer for you. Arthur did always have a bit of a reputation. Although," she relented, holding up a particularly surprising koi fish, "He does seem to have his talents."

Merlin chuckled at that.

"That's not to say that Gwaine and I don't have our share of rivalry. There is some betting going on, but I will spare you the details."

"I am eternally grateful for that. I'm glad there is some competition involved, though. Makes for a far more interesting story. I imagine this will end with the two of you having a blowout that inevitably leads to a declaration of undying love between you?"

For that, he was hit on the head with a newly unfolded budget redraft.

"The saddest thing is," Elena sighed, "We probably _will_ end up together eventually. But I am making it my business to live life to the fullest for as long as I can before settling with that wanker! I am still young, goddamn it, and I want my freedom!"

"How inspiring," Merlin replied dryly, "Oh, here's the schedule for the Salgard conference. I'd better get that to him. See you later," he said, patting her on the head before adding, "My knight in shining armour."

"Laters."

 

-

 

"Ah, Emrys, there you are. Any progress on the Arthur situation?"

"Getting there," Merlin lied. The real 'situation', which possibly differed from what Uther might think it was, was the distasteful pickle of what to _tell_ Mr. Pendragon to keep him off the scent, and that was getting harder to deal with with each meeting.

"You are making friends with him?"

"Well, I'd say we're… Getting closer?" Merlin ventured, placing the crumpled Salgard schedule on Uther's desk to a look of disapproval.

"What on Earth happened to that?"

"I don't know, sir."

That answer didn't seem to go down entirely well, but the boss said no more of it, leaning back in his seat and skimming the document.

"I am glad you're getting along," he said with an air of distraction, "That does place you at a rather advantageous angle. In fact - " He stopped in his tracks and stared out into midair with a furrowed brow, obviously contemplating a new idea, before slowly continuing his speech. "Finding out exactly who this inconvenient man is is only a step on the way. If we could disrupt the relationship without having to get to him, that would be even more efficient."

Merlin was at this point slightly confused and very uncomfortable. It was sickening to hear himself referred to as nothing but an inconvenience, and to hear plans being laid to thwart his loving relationship without any concern for his feelings.

"There are certain things I cannot ask of you, of course. I would not dream of requesting anything inappropriate, and I know that you and Arthur do not always… Get along."

At that Merlin's mind drifted to the massive argument they had manufactured last year in order to secure holiday dates that allowed for a shared trip. It had involved a lot of shouting and Uther bizarrely acting as a peace broker, suggesting the 'compromise' that they bend the company rules and let two employees in the same department have time off simultaneously. Merlin was still proud of the scheme, but the cogs were still turning i his head towards what plan of Uther's the perceived enmity it evidenced might hinder. He therefore said nothing, let his confusion show on his face as polite bemusement, and waited for his employer to carry on.

"I may not have known all the details about my son's life as well as I thought, but I do know his heart. He is nothing if not honourable." Merlin had to suppress the urge to vigorously agree; Arthur's bloody nobility had him constantly suggesting that they come clean, and fretting about deception as if it were a capital offence. "And loyal to a fault. But if he _should_ stray, I have no doubt he would immediately end the relationship…"

"What? You want me to seduce Arthur's boyfriend? I don't even know who this guy is…"

Merlin's voice trailed off at the unimpressed expression on Uther's face.

"I was thinking the other way around."

"Oh. You… Oh." He cleared his throat. "I'll… I'll think about it."

"Wonderful. That is more than I could have asked."

 

Exiting Uther's office, Merlin immediately found his phone to text Arthur.

 

_I think your dad might have just told me to sleep with you._

 

The reply came within seconds.

 

_Well, at least that is one order you can satisfactorily fulfil._

 

In spite of the flippant response, Merlin knew all too well that Arthur was not best pleased. There was not much to be pleased about, really. Ironic as the situation was, nothing seemed to be turning out well for anyone involved. He sighed before writing a reply.

_By the way, thanks for the cranes, you dick._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took such absolute ages. I am also sorry if it is crap. Apparently I'm incapable of finishing things these days.

The curtains of Arthur's bedroom window had not been drawn with sufficient care, and there was a tiny gap between them situated at just the right angle to make sure Merlin was awoken by the sunrise as a sharp ray of light hit his eyes without warning. After the initial grimaces and muffled cursing, though, he was actually quite glad. This way he had some time to lie awake and watch Arthur sleep beside him, something that rarely happened with all the secrecy they'd entangled themselves in. He appreciated the profile of Arthur's face, the curve of his nose, the softness of his lips, his smoothly shaven cheek. He wished this moment could last forever, that he could just lie here, in bed, watching Arthur's chest rise and fall with the rhythm of his breath. He knew exactly what conversation loomed once they were both awake.

As if stirred by Merlin's very thought, the sleeping eyes abruptly fluttered open, and after crossing for a moment in surprise at the re-appearance of the real world, they focused in on Merlin's face. Despite his heavy heart, smiling at Arthur's daft morning face was not difficult.

"Hi," said Merlin quietly. He got no smile in reply.

 

"We both know this can't go on," Arthur asserted, finally breaking the loaded silence across the breakfast table. "We knew it was a temporary solution, and now we have to make a decision. _You_ have to make a decision."

"So you're giving me an ultimatum."

"If that's how you'd like to put it. Yes, I'm giving you an ultimatum."

"Either we tell your father, and I'll be out of a job and out of a career. Or, we break it off and I lose you."

"That is about the gist of it."

"You know I can't choose you."

"I know."

"I would. I want to. But I swore - You know - I'm not going through that again. If I sacrifice one thing for you, then the snowball will keep rolling, and I'll… It would ruin everything I've worked for."

"I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me."

"Then I think we're on the same page."

 

It probably the most painful thing Merlin had ever experienced. He had known it was going to be painful, debilitating, that it was going to break his heart. But after all, the decision was made on very solid grounds, based on what he knew he needed and what was best for _him_. In the long term. In spite of his preparations to grit his teeth and get through it, however, the severity of the blow was a shock to his system. He stumbled through the world as if he wasn't quite there, numb to anything but the loss. When the time came to return to the office and Uther's watchful eye, Merlin tried his best to act as normal as possible, but he knew full well he was being unusually silent, glum, and unsmiling. His reduced countenance brought on the worry of Elena, who came over for a chat as she so often did.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair as if he were a disgruntled puppy.

"Not really," he mumbled, and she nodded. She disappeared for a second, and when she came back, she placed a warm cup of coffee and a biscuit by his side before returning to her own post. That gesture did warm him a bit, but no sooner had a faint smile worked its way onto his face than a summons from the lion's den wiped it away.

"Emrys, could I have a word with you, please?"

 

Once inside Mr. Pendragon's office, the boss motioned for him to take a seat. He had probably noticed Merlin's upset, he was not blind, but Hell would have a cold day before he'd deign to be concerned.

"Now, tell me, how did our little plan work out?"

"I can safely say that Arthur is not in a relationship anymore."

He could feel his soul leaking out of him with each syllable, and by the end of the sentence he wanted to curl up and die, but Uther took no notice and broke into a rare, wide grin.

"Excellent. God knows I shall not ask for the details. Great work, Emrys, you can expect renumeration for your efforts."

Merlin didn't have it in him to muster a reaction to that.

"If that is all, sir?"

"Certainly."

 

For nearly an hour after the meeting, Merlin sat at his desk doing absolutely nothing. Saying it out loud, that they were over, had reduced him to a point where staring blankly at the memos in front of him was all he could do. Lifting his eyes or even focusing his gaze to take in whatever the papers said was too steep a mountain to climb. When he finally managed to tune in to the world again, he noticed the cup of coffee Elena had so graciously fetched for him. It had long since gone cold now. With a gargantuan effort he managed to get up and take the cup with him. From there, the journey to the break room was feasible, and he cheered over his victory in silent triumph when he poured the cool beverage into the sink. Baby steps, he thought to himself. 

The first thing that happened when he exited the break room, of course, was that he ran straight into Arthur. Narrowly avoiding major spillage from his fresh cup of hot coffee, he could do nothing to stop his hard-won resolve from crumbling into nothing. Especially when Arthur wasted no time for conversation, or even awkward staring, and proceeded to kiss Merlin without explanation or context. He was careful at first, kissing a question. When Merlin didn't object, he grew more determined.

 

As if he was going to object. Arthur had gotten to him when he was at his weakest, and he ignored the vision of his old therapist shaking his head in favour of kissing back. It was the terrible relief of giving up, the comfort of relapse, and he revelled in it, as he revelled in _Arthur_ and in having him there, having him back. At least Arthur had been the one to crack first, that was something.

One or two people in the office landscape were applauding, which brought a endearing blush to Arthur's face.

"We'll talk later, yeah?" he mumbled, and Merlin nodded. They both fled the scene, Arthur presumably back to his office, Merlin to get a breath of fresh hear and wrap his head around the implications of what just happened.

 

Merlin was unsurprised to return to an obnoxiously grinning Gwaine sitting on his desk. Theirs was an office with a diligent jungle telegraph, so the not-exactly-news about him and Arthur were probably common knowledge already, and Gwaine would want his side of the scoop.

"Merlin, my boy! Congratulations!"

"Er, thanks."

For someone so young and handsome, Gwaine had a curious tendency to sound like a hammy uncle.

"About fucking time as well. Now, I need to settle a matter of utmost importance. How long?"

"Pardon?"

"How long since you and Pendragon Junior went from rivalry to passionate love affair? Please say more than a month, I've fifty quid running on it against Elena."

"Sweet love af - Er, two years."

"Oh! Oh. Well, that is more than a month."

"Yeah."

" _Emrys_. My office. _Now_."

Merlin winced.

"Ah. Here come the consequences. Congrats on your fifty quid."

"I'll pray for you."

"Thanks."

"Providing you promise to tell me the full story, of course."

 

Merlin groaned at that, but the supportive slap on the back he received from Gwaine upon leaving was surprisingly helpful. After the all encompassing despair he had let envelop him earlier, the dread that came with facing his hitherto blissfully ignorant "father-in-law" was relatively easy to subdue. Even in his determination, though, he had to admit that the look Uther gave him could probably have burned a hole through at least six feet of steel.

"Sit down."

Merlin did as he was told.

"There is an interesting story going around the office, Merlin."

"Is there?" Merlin replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking. Mr. Pendragon never used his first name. Ever.

"I don't know what you think you are doing, but it goes without saying that such… _Displays_ are unacceptable."

"Ah. News travel fast. That was what, five minutes ago?"

"Anything that might have happened between you and Arthur should have been ended well before that. This is not what I asked of you. You will break it off immediately."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said no. I'm sorry. I'm not letting go of him."

The expression on Mr. Pendragon's face suggested that his gums might have been unexpectedly replaced with grapefruit.

"Then it should be obvious that you cannot continue in my employ. You will get severance in accordance with your contract, but I do not wish to see you after today. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

He fled the office immediately, refusing to look Uther in the eyes. He kept them trained on the floor until he was back by his desk. He looked it over - his papers, his belongings. He had a lot of packing to do.

 

"What are you doing?"

Merlin reemerged from the cardboard box which he had been filling to see an annoyed Arthur looking down on him.

"What does it look like I'm doing."

"You're not packing. He didn't fire you."

"Not sure how you reached that conclusion from the evidence provided."

Arthur swore, and marched towards the door to his father's office.

"Arthur, what - ? Arthur, no!" Merlin commanded before following suit.

"You can't fire him," Arthur asserted as he flung the door open. His father looked up from the paper he had been inspecting - Merlin recognised it as the Hanson contract. They were interrupting important reading.

"I suppose that is correct, as he is no longer my employee to fire."

"I won't let you."

Uther sighed, put down the contract and took off his reading glasses.

"Mr. Emrys, would you be so kind as to close the door? This is hardly a discussion for the whole workforce to hear."

Fuming slightly, Merlin pulled the door shut.

"Arthur," Uther continued, "How I manage my employees is completely outside your jurisdiction. To come in here and cause a scene serves no purpose."

"You can't fire someone for being in a relationship."

"He is - _was_ \- my personal assistant. He is supposed to have my trust, and he betrayed it. That is more than enough reason to let him go."

"Rehire him, then."

"Arthur, I keep telling you. You have no say in the matter."

"Rehire him, or I'll leave."

"You'll what?"

For once, Merlin completely agreed with Uther. They both stared at Arthur as if he'd grown an extra head.

"I'll leave," he repeated. 

"That is preposterous. If you think that it will look good on your resume - "

"You have been training me to be able to take care of my own company eventually anyway. I could set up something. I have the contacts. We've a loyal workforce, father, loyal to us both, but if they were forced to choose, how many do you think would continue in your support? And how many would be mine - ours?"

At this point, he took hold of Merlin's hand, although the latter was uncertain whether he wanted to be labelled accomplice in this threat. Apparently not finished, Arthur added,

"You'll be seeing Merlin anyway. He's part of the family now."

That was a thought that set off about a hundred alarm bells in Merlin's head, through which he could barely hear Uther's reply.

"You would dare? You would ruin everything our family has worked for, or the sake of… Merlin?"

"I don't want to. But if I have to, yes, I will. For the sake of love."

Merlin didn't know which urge was stronger, to cringe in shame, to punch Arthur in the face, or to kiss him senseless. None of them seemed to befit the moment, so he settled for shivering while squeezing his hopeless boyfriend's hand. Uther's murderous gaze shifted towards Merlin.

"Very well. There will be no need for that."

Merlin could feel Arthur's relief.

"Do continue packing, though, Emrys. I will have you redistributed." He pointedly looked back at his son. "If only to avoid even further accusations of nepotism."

 

Arthur's grin when they were finally safe back in _his_ office was insufferable.

"I saved the day," he proudly proclaimed. 

"You had a course of action ready."

"Yep."

"All this time."

"Yep."

"You sod." Merlin hit him on the arm. "If you ever pull a stunt like that ever again, I'm out."

Arthur's self-satisfied expression fell a bit at that.

"But it all worked out."

"Well, granted. But you didn't think to ask my opinion, give me a say in this, or even, you know, the tiniest heads up?"

"I thought you'd be relieved."

"I am. I think. Also a little bit terrified at the prospect of being part of your father's family. I - I - Just, you know. You're a bit of a prat."

"If there is anything in the world that I really thought you knew…"

Merlin could no longer hold back a smile. He rolled his eyes and pressed a brief kiss to Arthur's lips.

"Just tell me beforehand next time you plan on doing something stupid and dramatic."

"I think you mean heroic."

"Prat," Merlin repeated.

"Your prat," Arthur specified, "For as long as you'll have me, that is."

 

\--End.


End file.
